MANILA, 28 September 2007 — Korean Kim Sun-Tae, a blind Korean Christian priest who was named as a Magsaysay Awardee this year for putting up a hospital for the blind and visually impaired, plans to build a similar facility in the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy in Seoul has said.

Ambassador Susan O. Castrence said the Reverend Kim talked about his plan during a thanksgiving service at the Hotel Sofitel Ambassador in Seoul last week. Kim received the prestigious award in Manila last month in the category public service.

According to the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, Kim was honored for his “inspiring ministry of hope and practical assistance to his fellow blind and visually impaired citizens in South Korea.”

“I am glad that he has expressed interest establishing a facility in the Philippines, which can benefit many of our blind and visually impaired countrymen,” said Castrence. “Rev. Kim is a known figure in South Korea not only because of his altruism and dedication to service but also because he epitomizes the strength of the human spirit, having encountered many hardships when he was young and using these experiences to improve himself and the situation of others.”

Castrence is also coordinating with Kim to help 28-year-old Gwang-hoon Yoo, the embassy’s general utility man, whose right eye was damaged in an accident when he was four years old.

Kim lost his sight during the Korean War when a bomb exploded while he and his companions were scavenging for food. Enduring poverty and the stigma of his blindness for several years, he persevered through school and eventually formed Korea’s first church for the blind in 1972.

In 1986, through donations, Kim established the Siloam Eye Hospital in Seoul, a hospital dedicated to the blind and visually impaired which offers free services to the needy. Kim later added a mobile clinic and opened Korea’s largest rehabilitation-and-learning center. His group has also conducted medical missions to the Philippines, Bangladesh, Kenya and China.

Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honor and is widely regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. To date, there have been a total of 19 recipients of the award from South Korea.

The Medical Foundation of the Siloam Eye Hospital, the Siloam Welfare Center and the Siloam Mothers’ Association hosted the thanksgiving service.

Kim serves as director and managing director of the foundation and organizations.